You can’t reach optimum health overnight. It can take years of eating healthy, exercising, and divesting yourself of bad habits to finally become the best you possible. Your body has many moving parts, and if even one area of health and wellness isn’t addressed, it could keep your entire body from improving.

Unfortunately, where diet, exercise, and overall general health are concerned, one size does not fit all. Everyone is different, which means that you need a plan specifically tailored to how you can live a healthier life.

That being said, there are a number of basic tips and tricks. These little adjustments could lead to big improvements in strength, health, and an overall higher quality of life for just about everyone:

Drink a Glass of Water to Start Your Morning. Many people start their day with a cup of coffee because they feel like they just can’t function until they have it. Try this instead – first, have a full glass of water. Starting with a simple glass of water has numerous benefits, including rehydrating the body and jumpstarting your metabolism. Drinking water also helps to fill you up faster. If you drink a glass in the morning with breakfast, you will be more likely to feel full until lunch. (You can always have your coffee after your water – if you still need it.)

Meditate. Stress can have a profoundly negative effect on your body. It can throw your sleep schedule off, put you at a higher risk for respiratory and cardiac problems, and in general just make you feel pretty awful. Here’s the good news: just a few minutes of meditation has proven to reduce stress and ease anxiety. Meditating while sitting up straight can also help to improve posture and back strength.

To start, check out guided meditations or apps that will help you meditate for a few minutes every day. Even if you only do it for a few minutes in the beginning, those minutes will still help to reduce your stress and improve your overall health.

Replace Your Desk Chair With an Exercise Ball. You don’t have to leave your desk to work out. Sit on an exercise ball during the day and you’ll improve your stability, balance, and core strength. Strengthening your core has a positive impact on the rest of the body, and will improve your posture and endurance.

Stick to Fresh, Whole Foods. Need to know if your snack or meal is healthy? Check the number of ingredients. The fewer ingredients, the better. Stick to whole foods, like fruits and vegetables. If there are a lot of ingredients you can’t pronounce, grab an apple.

Eat Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day for a good reason. Even if you had some food right before bed, breakfast quite literally breaks the fast that you endure when you sleep. It replenishes glucose and other nutrients that will power you throughout the day. A protein-packed breakfast and a full stomach is the best way to start the day.

Eat an Early Dinner. We all love a nice dessert after dinner, but make sure there’s plenty of time between eating your last meal and heading to sleep. Eating right before bed can confuse your metabolism, and ultimately make it less effective.

This means that your body is less able to process and digest the food that you eat before bed, which can quickly lead to weight gain. Encourage an earlier dinner and hold off on the sweets if it’s getting too late. After all, you’ll want to be nice and hungry for that big breakfast in the morning!

Take a Hike… or maybe just a nice walk. Getting outside for a few minutes a day will have similar mental benefits to meditation: you can de-stress and breathe deeply. Even if it’s just for a short period of time, walking is incredibly beneficial.

Moreover, it’s a great way to start up a new physical or exercise routine. Over time, your walk can turn into a jog, or a brisk run. Taking the time to focus on physical health and exercise can encourage habits like going to the gym or establishing a home workout routine.

Listen to Your Body. If you try any of these tips and your body just isn’t responding well, you don’t have to listen to us. Listen to your body, first and foremost. Your gut is usually right. If you’re tired, rest. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re full, stop eating. If you think you need to see a doctor, make an appointment.

Our physical bodies are capable of understanding its needs and communicating them to us. Listen and trust what it has to say to you.

At iChiropractic, we know that small adjustments make a big difference in overall health. If you are looking to improve your health and wellness, we can help by providing treatments chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, or acupuncture. Interested in learning more? Get in touch with us today.

About the Author:

Dr. Marc Browner is the Founder ofiChiropractic and Wellnessin Naples, Florida. A graduate of the University of Florida in 1991, he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic in 1995. In private practice since 1998, Dr. Browner is a member of the Florida Chiropractic Society, the Florida Chiropractic Association, and he attends continuing education seminars, classes, and workshops to remain abreast of the most current treatment methods and technological advances in the field.

After just 4 visits with Dr. Marc Browner I have experienced a tremendous amount of relief in both my upper and lower back as well as my neck. After a very serious car accident in which I had sustained back and neck injuries, my quality of life had d...Read More

Pain Free

Mar 04, 2015Linda A Martinez

I went to see Dr.Browner fir the pain in my right hip that had been bothering me for months. I had an adjustment the month prior, only to have the pain return in 2 days. But after last week, and the extensive"work out"he did on me, I've been pain fre...Read More

Mar 04, 2015G. Wayne

The following is a voluntary testimony concerning endometriosis. For those of you who are experiencing this disease, or know a loved one who suffers, you will be excited and encouraged to read what I have to say. I know now that there is hope.
My ...Read More

Mar 04, 2015Connie

I’ve had this with me for the longest time, but then again better late than never. I just wanted to say THANK YOU for fixing my back! You’re awesome.
Hope all is going well and say hi to Jill for me. Connie...Read More

Mar 04, 2015Greme Smith

It means so much to me that you fit me in and take such good care of me. You are such a good friend...Read More